741. WHAT IS AN IEC AND WHO NEEDS ONE?

Most people know–or at least think they know–the role of a school-based counselor. What about all of the professionals in private practice who support families on their admissions journeys and more? Amy and Mike invited IECA CEO Stephanie Simpson to learn what an Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) is and who needs one. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What role do Independent Educational Consultants (IECs) play in a student's academic journey, and how do they How can IECs complement the contributions of school counselors, especially in districts where high counselor-to-student ratios make individualized support difficult? At what point in a teen's academic journey can IECs be most valuable? What else do IECs offer beyond application coaching? What does a qualified, ethically grounded IEC practice look like in today's landscape, and how should educators and school counselors help families evaluate who they choose to work with? MEET OUR GUEST Stephanie Simpson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the leading professional organization representing independent private college and career counselors who support students and families navigating postsecondary education pathways. Previously, she served as CEO of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), the world's largest and oldest professional association dedicated to helping middle school educators cultivate the potential and possibilities of young adolescents.  Stephanie's nearly 15 years of association leadership experience includes senior roles at the American College of Cardiology and the American Psychiatric Association. She holds a JD from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and a BA from DePaul University. Stephanie can be reached on LinkedIn. LINKS Independent Educational Consultants Association IEC profile Archives - TestBright RELATED EPISODES HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU NEED A COLLEGE CONSULTANT? HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE COUNSELOR THE DIFFERENT ROLES OF SCHOOL AND PRIVATE COUNSELORS HOW SCHOOL AND PRIVATE COLLEGE COUNSELORS CAN WORK TOGETHER ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and the founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.